Personal computer (PC) systems are well known in the art. They have attained widespread use in many segments of today's modern society as a result of their widespread use for telecommuting, news, stock market information and trading, banking, shopping, shipping, communication in the form of hypertext transfer protocol (http) and email, as well as other services. PCs are typically provided with enclosures which protect the operating components of the computer, provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance, and shield against undesirable emission of electromagnetic energy.
Many components of PCs generate heat during operation, making it necessary to cool those components so that proper functioning continues, particularly because of the confined space of the enclosure which makes it more difficult to reject waste heat. Cooling strategies for PCs usually rely upon forced air flow through the computer enclosure. A typical arrangement provides a single fan, typically mounted in or adjacent the power supply for the computer, which induces a flow of air through the enclosure and particularly through the power supply, which is often the principal heat source within the enclosure. While the forced air provides an effective method for cooling PCs, it also brings dust or other particles into the enclosure. Dust may then gather on critical components, eventually resulting in failure of that component and potentially the entire PC. The problem of accumulated dust is exacerbated for thermally-sensitive components, as dust accumulations contribute to overheating and eventual failure. Accumulation of dust may result in a safety hazard as well. Dust on a heat generating component typically heats up with that component, which may result in a fire. A fire may also be created when accumulated dust creates a short between two electrical components.
One method of remedying the dust situation is to periodically open up the system to either blow out the dust using compressed air or to collect the dust with a vacuum cleaner. Manually blowing out or removing the dust with a vacuum clean are time-consuming for the user, making them undesirable. Moreover, these methods rely on activity that may not be performed, particularly if users are asked to do the work themselves, and therefore do not prevent the accumulation of dust in many cases. These methods also require for the computer to be turned off in order to open the system up for dust blowing or removal, resulting in downtime for the system. Because of their cost, complication, and ineffectiveness, these methods do not provide a satisfactory solution for many users.
Some systems implement a filter at the air inlet of the enclosure, attempting to reduce the amount of dust that enters the system. Filtration systems do remove some of the dust that would otherwise enter the system. Filtration systems, however, are somewhat inefficient, particularly for small particles, resulting in significant amounts of dust still entering. Another problem with filtration systems is that they can drastically reduce the amount of air entering the system, making cooling more difficult. More effective filters with smaller gaps decrease the amount of air that goes through at a given power setting, requiring either reduced airflow or increased fan size or power. Neither solution is desirable as they increase costs and run the risk of creating more noise.
There is, therefore, a need for an effective and efficient system and method to reduce the amount of dust on certain components of computer systems. There is an even greater need for such a system when components are thermally-sensitive.